London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

London drivers face major delays during the Olympics as key routes will be blocked to the public, it was revealed today.

Mayor Boris Johnson warned the city to expect congestion as he unveiled plans for special "VIP" lanes for Olympic traffic.

Drivers will be banned from the lanes on routes through the West End in a bid to get athletes and organisers to the 2012 site on time.

At least 60 miles of roads, including parts of the Embankment, will have priority lanes for officially accredited Olympic vehicles only. The lanes, typically operating between 6am and midnight, will form part of 104-mile network in the capital during the weeks of the Olympics.

Mr Johnson said today: "It will mean inconvenience for London drivers for 17 days of the games.

"I can't pretend that during that period you will be able to bomb along the Embankment. I hope that Londoners will understand that some modest inconvenience at Games time is a price worth paying for a happy Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Other roads will be open to the public but face restrictions designed to speed up traffic.

Traffic lights will be phased green for Games vehicles, parking bays and pedestrian zones will be suspended and side roads will be closed.

The clampdown will dwarf road restrictions imposed for the London marathon or Notting Hill carnival.

Routes will be monitored by CCTV mobile patrols and motorists who flout the rules will be fined £200.

There are fears that the network, which will start in July 2012 and be scaled down for the Paralympics until early September, will both disrupt commuters and damage businesses.

Buses on key routes will be sent on diversion, parking bay suspensions will affect delivery drivers and taxis will be banned from the Olympic-only lanes.

But as they unveiled the Olympic Route Network today, Games chiefs said it was essential for the smooth-running of the Olympics and would let them guarantee travel times.

Games chiefs said just 2.6 per cent of London's roads would be affected by the restrictions and one per cent would have priority lanes. Non-essential roadworks will be banned.

The network will be used by 82,000 athletes, officials, VIPs, sponsors and media in chartered buses or cars.

Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt said: "Where Games lanes are required there will inevitably be some temporary disruption to everyday life, but we must give athletes the best chance to train and compete effectively. That means ensuring they get to their events on time and minimising the time they spend travelling."

Some routes will have priority lanes in force every day, including Victoria Embankment, Blackwall Tunnel approach and A2203 through north Greenwich, Stratford High Street and other A roads surrounding the Olympic Park.

The network will extend by 172 miles outside London to rowing in Eton, white water canoeing in Broxbourne, Herts, mountain biking near Southend and sailing in Weymouth.

Games plan: Where the routes will run

What the colours mean

Yellow routeRoads on this route will have a dedicated "Olympic-only" lane for athletes, officials, VIPs, sponsors and media. The lanes will be in force from 6am until midnight

Red routeRoads on this route, the busiest "core section" of the VIP network, will be affected by major restrictions to speed up traffic but will be fully open to the public. Measures could include bans on parking and right-turns, suspension of pedestrian crossings, phasing of traffic lights and no public entry from side roads.

Blue routeRoads on this route will only be affected on competition days. They will run from the athletes' accommodation to venues such as Wembley Arena, Earls Court and Wimbledon.

Q&A

What's happening today? Games chiefs are publishing detals of the roads that will be affected by the "VIP route" to speed up Olympic traffic in 2012.

How do the priority Olympic lanes work? They will be open to Games vehicles and emergency services only. Lanes may run in one or both directions. The 60-mile route counts lanes in both directions. They will be mainly on the offside, or "fast lane". Motorways will have few traffic management measures.

How will it affect me?If you live or work near sports venues such as the Olympic Park, Greenwich, Lord's cricket ground, Earl's Court or Wimbledon, you may be affected. Embankment/Upper Thames Street will also be heavily used by VIPs moving between Park Lane and Stratford.

What do the critics say?VIPs could stay in Canary Wharf/City hotels instead of Park Lane to cut their commute to Stratford. Olympic route privileges could be removed from the 25,000 sponsors.

What will they travel in?Charter coaches for athletes, media and sponsors, BMW limousines for VIPS.

Has the route been used before?They were introduced at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after athletes arrived late at the Atlanta Games. Athens, Beijing and Vancouver also used the lanes. As host city London is obliged to provide "safe, secure and reliable" transport services.

Who's in charge? The Olympic Route Network was designated by the transport secretary in 2008. The ODA designed the network. Measures will be enforced on major roads by Transport for London and on other routes by local authorities.